Give Thanks Session Giveaway winner!!

I did this giveaway to spread the feel good feeing, and this part makes me feel a little terrible. All 36 entries are a mother's shared pride and joy, her triumph and struggle, and her grace and blessings. I read and re-read these beautiful letters and could see a little of me in each of them. A common humor, a similar path, a focus on what matters most in my home, my babies...and I realized how alike we all are. That unlike most shared experiences, this one common thread ties us so similarly akin that most other things do not matter. And so, in light of this connectedness,  I've decided that every mother that entered must be thanked for sharing herself so personally; each of them will receive a discounted mini session for taking the time to write, and for letting me into their precious world. It's the most feel good I've felt through this whole giveaway, and that's what it's all about. 

And for the full session winner : Stephanie Morgan, I am so happy that you entered and even more excited to meet you, your darling husband and those two sweet kiddos. Your story has been on my mind since the day you wrote me. What an incredible momma you are and how lucky your little ones are to have you. I am looking forward to our session to get to know you all better, and to also meet your brother and sister in law! I wish for you many blessings this holiday season and will see you in the new year! 

Entry mini session recipients:

Your session info will be organized after the hoidays in the new year. Those details and more will be discussed via email. Thank you, each of you, for sharing. It's touched me more than I can say. THANK YOU.  

xx, Lyndsey

Jack and Lola Session Giveaway!

November is a month for giving thanks, so to thank you, I'm giving away a free session!

I am really feeling the fortune of wonderful people and clients in my life right now and am thrilled to offer a session to a loving family who is excited to capture the people they are most thankful for this holiday season. 

To be considered, please send me an email (link in my contact page on this site), detailing a little bit about you and your family as well as:

1) Your location

2) Who are you as a family, what would you say defines you, what are you thankful for? (not to be answered exactly in that order, but share yourselves with me on a deeper level. I am really looking to connect with someone and share in celebrating the special people in their lives.)  

3) One other family you'd like to nominate for a mini session  (That's right, I'm giving away a full family session as well as a mini session to someone you are thankful for! ) and why. 

4) Follow me on Instagram, handle:  Lyndseyyo and Jack & Lola Photography on Facebook 

The session will last about an hour and a half and include a CD of your edited images. I will choose a family and their nominated mini session family on the 24th of November. The session will be scheduled after the new year at the convenience of the family and myself. SO looking forward to meeting some new people and spreading the fortune of celebrating family! 

My little October baby

October 16th is a day I will both celebrate becoming a mother and silently grieve the wickedness that is growing up. It feels like he crept up on us in the night, this boy that has eclipsed the baby I thought I shared my days with.  This boy who won't let me carry him, who puts his underwear on backwards everyday, who requests a knife with his meals to try and fork and knife each bite like a man, who tells me he IS a man when standing on his tip toes, who I knew had one foot out the door the minute we laid eyes on him. 

(*This was just a family walk one morning...none of these images are staged, I came to capture the fog, he came to rock.)

A few weeks ago on the eve before Henry's third birthday, I sat going through my photos on Instagram, and I felt full of love for him, the life he has given to us, and the people he is turning us into. I have been following our family's journey on Instagram pretty much since I became pregnant with him and it reads like our not-so-private little life journal. In it, I see so much I take for granted, so much free, out of thin air, joy we get each day because he is ours. His confidence, strength and will are ever present in everything he does, and serve him well in getting what he wants, and not to so much in giving his mother's poor heart a rest. But perhaps more persistent than all the steam that propels him forward, is his giggling joy that seems to pull people into orbit about him. I pray both of  these sides to our boy only grow as he does, and that in the middle of all his go-go-going he remembers to stop and appriciate where he is once in awhile. I will--watching with hands clutched to my chest, and orbiting proudly. Isn't that what we do as parents? With our tools in place, we orbit them...always. 

 Happy third birthday Henry Porter.  The world is yours son.